


Cutting corners

by ioniclightning



Category: Cheric, X-Men (Movieverse), erik - Fandom
Genre: Aftercare, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-11
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 21:56:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3334250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ioniclightning/pseuds/ioniclightning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles Xavier has overdone his stay in Cerebro, Erik happens to be the only one home and takes care of him. Exploring how the two men interact, some mild banter, softness. I'm exploring how the character interact. Some light foreshadowing on a more intimate relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cutting corners

His head lay in shards. Every light he passed cut into him with physical pain. Charles grabbed the wall for support. Raven was out for the night, showing the others “the town.” He was glad for the absence of noise. Getting through the hallway in a straight line was taxing enough. 

Why had he come this way? His room was at the other side of the building. This led to the gym. A sound caught his attention. It jarred his senses. He was about to turn around when something made him stop. His hand gripped for the door-frame. He looked inside. 

Eric stood with his back half-turned to the door. The casual training garb stretched tight over his muscles as he extended his arm. The steel-like stare, teeth bared in a grin, was focused on a weight across the room.  
Charles watched as the metal levitated upwards. A sense of heaviness came to the air. Erik dropped the weight. It landed with the dull thud that had brought Charles to the door. The sound made him gasp.  
Erik turned round, a surprised smile shot over his face, 'Charles. What are you doing up so late? I thought you retired hours ago.' Charles managed a smile despite the state of his head. 'Same as you, expanding my range. I had a bout of inspiration I had to act on.'  
Erik snapped a towel from a hook, draping it over his neck. There was a fine layer if sweat on his skin, it made his short hair stick to his head. 'I hardly think it's the same, my friend. That machine takes a lot from you.'  
Charles gestured to the empty room. 'I thought you'd gone out with the others.'  
Erik smiled, 'Seeing the sights is,' he grinned,'not rally my forte.' A look of concern crept over his face. He glanced at the big clock on the wall. 'Four extra hours in that machine, your bout of inspiration could not wait till morning?.'  
Charles grabbed the side of his head, Erik faded from his sight. The strain seeped into his voice, 'Erik, this is important enough to cut some corners.'  
'Be sure the corners you're cutting don't end up bleeding you dry.'  
Charles opened his moth to speak but no words came. His hand slipped from the doorway.  
Erik was at his side before he could hit the ground, taking his shoulder, 'Charles?'  
'I think I need a drink.'

Sitting in his comfortable chair, Charles watched Erik move around. The man opened drawers and arranged glasses. He put a tumbler on the table next to the chair.  
Charles eyes the amber liquid but didn't reach for it.  
Erik stopped his own glass against his lips, then left the room.  
Charles let out a deep sigh. Something inside him slowed his senses. Like a tear in him, hurting and cutting. The image of a wound draining him from blood came to his mind. 

Erik came back shaking a see-through bottle, making oil inside slosh around. He upended the bottle to his palm and the scent of lavender filled the room.  
Charles chuckled. A quick smile came to his lips. 'Looks like a fine year. Not what I was thinking off, but-'  
Erik smiled a languid smile. He rubbed the oil between his fingers. Charles watched his hands slide against each-other. He breathed out through his nose, righting himself; 'I look bad enough to be in need of herbal relief?'  
The calm eyes looked back at him. 'If you can't lift your precious whiskey, I know we are past common remedies.'  
Charles smiled but a tired frown weighted his brow.  
Erik walked past the chair, trailing lavender scent mixed with his own. Charles breathed it in without noticing. He gave a start as the long fingers touched his temples. Then blinked rapidly and closed his eyes. 'Oh. That is good. How do you even know about this.'  
Erik smiled as he moved his fingers into circles. 'You keep telling me I am full of unexplored potential. You could be right.'  
Seriousness came back to Charles face,'I am right. You could be-'  
Erik made his words turn into a groan. He pressed his thumbs to the slender neck, circling the tension, easing it from the pale skin. Charles felt his arms slump beside him, the tired frown melted from his face. 

He woke up in his chair. A pleasant smell hung around him. A distant shower filled the dimmed room with further comfort. A blanket covered him. He sighed and went back to sleep. 

Erik came back with a towel round his waist. Water dripped from his back to the floor. He stood watching the figure in the chair. The black hair stuck against the leather, the lips slightly parted. An almost child-like sleeper. He stayed a moment longer and turned away. 

Downstairs younger people where trying to enter the house without sound. Without much success.


End file.
